The Midnight Hour in the Organization
by Blueskies008
Summary: Stories written at midnight or later, including Organization XIII. It was an awkward time, with awkward moments. A whole lot of drabble.
1. Saix Puppy and the Vet

**This will be a series of short stories I'll be writing involving Organization XIII.  
****Most of these were written at midnight, and then I typed them up later.  
This means that they will be completely RANDOM! I write my weirdest stuff around midnight.  
So, enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated. (I'll give you a cookie)**

* * *

**What's That Smell?**

"Come on, Puppy- it's time to see the vet!" said Demyx as he pushed Saix out the door.

"Do…Not…Want the vet!" he growled.

Demyx had a weird effect on Saix. Whenever they were together, he would turn into a puppy.

But not a normal one.

Saix would become a ferocious werewolf puppy, growling at the other Organization members as he protected his little friend. No one knew why Demyx transformed him, and they had given up on trying to "cure" him.

When Demyx wasn't around, Saix was his usual, sarcastic self. Not to mention a kiss-up to the Superior.

"But Puppy," Demyx whined. "The vet doesn't want to hurt you, you know that." He broke into a grin but Saix wasn't reassured. He tore away from him and hid under the couch in the living room.

Demyx was worried. When his Puppy was seriously scared, he would hide for _hours_. When the Organization finally got him out, it was usually too late.

Too late for a potty break, anyway. The smell hung around the castle for _days._

Demyx sighed and decided to tell the vet he would have to bring Saix back another time.

He abandoned the puppy under the couch and ran upstairs.

"Vexen?" he yelled. "Puppy won't come out."

Vexen came around the corner, fully clothed in medical attire.

"Is that so? What a shame." his eyes seemed to dart around nervously. " He's hopeless in that state. I'll have to wait for when he's really himself again before I-"

"Puppy will hide under that couch all day."

"That's not what I meant." said Vexen with a gleam in his eye.

Demyx and Vexen continued up the stairs together. Vexen kept Demyx quiet by chattering about experiments that Demyx cared nothing about.

" ..And so," continued Vexen. "That is why you never stare Xigbar directly in the eye."

Demyx looked at him. "Why were you staring at him?"

"Hush boy. It was…all for the good of science." Vexen stood in the laboratory's doorway. Demyx noticed something that caught his eye.

"What is that?" he raised his eyebrows. A large, deadly looking weapon sat on the floor in the middle of the room.

"Uh-nothing." Vexen pushed Demyx away and tightened his coat.

"That's not meant for Puppy, is it?"

There was an awkward silence.

"…no." Vexen lied.

Demyx blinked and started to walk away. He was unaware of what Vexen was capable of.

"Okay then." he said. "Oh, hi Larxene!"

The only female member of Organization XIII came down the stairs, her boots clanking as she walked. She waited for demy to leave before she spoke.

"Hullo, Vexen." she pursed her lips.

"Larxene."

The two simply stared at each other for a few moments. Larxene wanted to intimidate him, but apparently the scientist was deep inside his own mind.

"Well, bye." Larxene sneered and continued down the stairs.

"Mmmhm." Vexen looked both directions and backed into his lab.

Downstairs, Larxene popped off her high-heeled boots and sat on the couch.

"Rapist." she muttered under her breath. At least _someone _knew what was going on.

She didn't sit for long before a strong odor reached her nose.

" What the hell is that?" she gagged.

Larxene left the room as quickly as she could, trying to force down a feeling of nausea. Saix Puppy poked his head out from underneath the couch and whimpered.

_Too late._


	2. MilkshakesOther LifeChanging Things

Milkshakes and Other Life-Changing Things

Organization XIII had nothing to do. The Superior, Xemnas, had given them a rare day off. To some of the Nobodies, this meant severe boredom. Roxas sat in the kitchen, absent-mindedly playing with a spoon. He had recently become aware of himself.

"Axel?" he mumbled.

"Hmm?" Axel appeared out of the refrigerator clutching a bar of chocolate.

"Days off…feel so _empty_." Roxas sighed.

"Yeah. I know what you mean," Axel shut the fridge with a bump of his hips and pulled up a chair beside Roxas. He broke the candy bar in two.

"Want some?" he held out the chocolate.

"No, thanks." said Roxas as he watched the candy melt into liquid in Axel's hand.

"Oh, damn it!" said the flame-haired pyro as he licked chocolate off his fingertips. Roxas stared at him and thought for a moment.

"Isn't that Xaldin's chocolate?" he asked anxiously.

"Not anymore," Axel smirked, continuing to eat without a care. Roxas was quiet until his friend finished his treat. He wanted to go to the clock tower in Twilight Town.

"So," he began. "D'you wanna get some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Axel licked the last of the candy off his thumb. "We eat that _everyday, _Roxy."

Roxas' face burned.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Yeah, whatever, _Roxy_. Heh." Axel reached over and ruffled Roxas' hair. "Ice cream is so old-fashioned, you know? We need to shake it up a bit." Something flashed in his emerald eyes. Roxas wasn't sure he liked that look Axel had. This usually meant Axel was up to something, and Roxas would be dragged along for the ride.

_That mischievous look._

"Milkshakes." Axel whispered with a grin.

"Uh…what?"

"Milkshakes!" he said louder and stood up. Roxas didn't know what a milkshake was. He looked to Axel, lost.

"Milkshakes?" Roxas repeated.

"Yeah, they're kinda like liquid ice cream! They taste good if you eat 'em with french fries, too. Got it memorized?" Axel grabbed Roxas' arm and dragged him away. "Come on… to the lab!" He pointed to the sky and led Roxas upstairs.

"Axel- milkshakes are food, right?" Roxas was confused.

"Uh-huh."

"Then why are we going to Vexen's lab?"

"Oh," Axel stopped for a moment and turned to him. "Because I don't know how to make a milkshake." he admitted.

"…Great." Roxas mumbled and rolled his eyes.

_Thus their search for the great milkshake recipe began!_

Axel and Roxas stood outside Vexen's door. There were strange noises coming from within. Roxas starts to walk away but Axel held him close.

"Maybe we should just leave him alone," Roxas didn't like the way Vexen looked at him.

"Don't be silly, Roxas. I'm sure Vexen wouldn't mind a milkshake, either." Axel knocked on the door. It was a while before Vexen poked his head out. Loud disco music could clearly be heard inside.

"Yes?" his eyes darted around nervously.

"We'd like to ask you something," began Axel. Vexen looked down at a silent Roxas with a sneer. Roxas noticed strobe lights as they rotated around what part of the lab he could see.

_Why does Vexen have a party in his laboratory? _He thought.

"Wait here," Vexen said to Axel and disappeared inside again. The music suddenly stopped with a record scratch. Roxas heard a man's voice, muffled, and a heavy slam. He looked over to Axel, who merely shrugged it off. Vexen opened the door and stepped out of the room.

"You were saying?" he asked, as if nothing had happened. Axel cleared his throat.

"Can you tell us how to make milkshakes?" Axel smiled. Vexen just stared at him.

"Milkshakes?" he repeated blankly. "You mean you don't remember how to make them? It's really not that difficult." Axel shook his head.

The door suddenly flew open.

"Did you say 'milkshakes' by any chance?" A pink- haired man stepped out of the lab and zipped up his coat. Marluxia stood before them and waited for a response. Roxas nodded.

"I can make a mean milkshake." he finished.

"Me and Axel were about to make some," said Roxas timidly. Marluxia turned to look at him, face vacant of emotion.

"Is that so?" he replied. "I bet I could make a better milkshake that you two could." he bragged calmly.

" I bet you could, too." Roxas blurted out before Axel elbowed him in the ribs.

"We accept that challenge!" Axel said with bravado, spreading his arms wide.

"What!" Axel shushed Roxas. Marluxia almost smiled.

"Alright, then. Meet me in the kitchen in an hour." he turned and walked away without another word.

"We'll be there-right, Roxy?" Axel covered Roxas' mouth and dragged the protesting boy away.

When the time came, the two arrived in the kitchen. Someone had turned on a stereo and sat it on one of the cabinets. A nobody was dancing with his back turned to them.

It was Marluxia.

_My milkshakes bring all the boys to the club_

_And their like, 'It's better than yours"_

_Damn right-_

Roxas held back laughter and smiled at Axel.

" I had no idea Marluxia was so competitive."

Axel didn't really want to acknowledge what Marluxia was doing, but he grinned.

"It's as best a time as any." Axel said as he tied his hair up. _"I just wish I knew what I was doing." _He thought.

"Marluxia?" Roxas yelled over the music. "We're ready."

He flipped around at the voice and once again lost all signs of emotion.

"Let's begin," he glared. "Xigbar, Luxord? Where are my regulation officers?

The two in question stepped out of a dark corridor.

"Here and accounted for." Luxord did a mock salute while Xigbar stood rigid.

Axel and Roxas took one side of the kitchen and Marluxia took the other. Neither moved once they got into position.

"Okay, keep this a fair…err…culinary fight." began Xigbar unamused. "The winner will be determined by the milkshake's taste and originality."

Axel crossed his arms while Roxas stared down at his boots. Marluxia did not move.

"On your mark," said Luxord.

"Get set-" Xigbar continued.

_Why are we even doing this? _Roxas looked to Axel once again.

"Go!" They both yelled.

Both teams rushed to grab a blender and ice cream. Axel hooked up the blender while Roxas tore open the ice cream package.

"No, Roxas, no!" Axel waved his arms.

"What?" asked Roxas clutching the package.

"That's sea-salt ice cream!" said Axel taking it from him.

"What's wrong with it?" said Roxas angrily.

"Gah… you can't use a Popsicle in a milkshake." He threw the box aside. "You need cream, and this just isn't-"

"Ten minutes!" called Xigbar.

Axel narrowed his eyes. "Never mind. Just find something else sweet, like a fruit or chocolate…maybe peanut butter. Weren't you listening to Vexen?"

Roxas shook his head and went to find the requested ingredients. Meanwhile, Marluxia was cooking it up and didn't allow anyone to see what he was putting into the concoction. He knew what he was doing, and this put him at an advantage. While Axel was scraping ice out of a pan, Roxas threw in some ingredients he deemed worthy to put into a milkshake. The unknowing teen threw in a handful of Pop Rocks, some Skittles, root beer, and leftover french fries he found in the refrigerator. He remembered that Axel said french fries tasted good to dip in milkshakes. For extra flavor, he also tossed in a whole bottle of what he thought was vanilla flavoring. He stirred everything together before letting Axel pour in a couple of ice cubes. Roxas thought he had picked good ingredients.

"I sure hope this tastes good," mumbled Axel. _I don't know what the kid put into it…_

Roxas, innocent as always, had poured in an entire bottle of rum without realizing it.

"Five minutes!" reminded Xigbar, while Luxord played Solitary. Every so often, he reached for something, but shook his head when it wasn't there. He mumbled quietly and clutched at his head.

Marluxia hid a grin as he strutted around, pouring his concoction into some glasses. He knew he was going to win. Axel, on the other hand, noticed that Marluxia looked very confident of himself. This made him nervous. He took a sniff of the milkshake in the blender. It didn't smell right, not at all sweet, but it was too late to start over. Axel sighed and helped Roxas pour their drink into glasses for the judges.

"This is gonna taste great, isn't it, Axel?" asked Roxas.

"Um…sure." he lied. He didn't want to tell Roxas that it looked disgusting.

"Times up!" yelled Xigbar. He glared over at Luxord, who had tried to escape the kitchen. Xigbar took a hold of Luxord's cloak and threw him back inside. Marluxia set his glasses aside while Axel and Roxas tried to scramble to the side to look like they had finished early.

"Present your milkshakes!" said Luxord with a flourish, then ran around the kitchen, pulling open cabinet doors.

Marluxia came forward first, and set his tray down with a bow. He sneered at Axel, then briskly walked away.

"Our turn, Roxy." whispered Axel as he laid his hands on Roxas' shoulders. Together they walked up to Xigbar and left their milkshake on the counter. Marluxia came closer with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"And now, for the judge." he said.

"Judge? I thought you guys were the judges!" exclaimed Roxas, pointing at Xigbar and Luxord. "One judge can't be fair, it's-"

Marluxia stared him down until he went silent. A corridor of darkness arose and the Superior stepped out. He gave a nod, and without a word went right up to Marluxia. He picked up his milkshake and smelled it. After a moment, he took a deep gulp.

"Indeed," Xemnas stated, then walked away. Marluxia looked as if he had already won.

Roxas gave his friend a confused look, but Axel just furrowed his brows.

The Superior picked up _their _glass, and looked at it warily. He didn't bother to sniff it, and took a caution sip. Xemnas mumbled something then drained the glass dry. Marluxia looked on in amazement. Xemnas hiccupped and looked over at Axel and Roxas.

"Number eight, thirteen…." Marluxia stared hard at Xemnas.

"Yes, sir." said Axel.

"Get me another glass." Marluxia jaw dropped.

"Sir, are you sure that-" began Marluxia.

"Do you doubt my superiority?" Xemnas cut him off, gold eyes flashing.

"No, Sir." Marluxia fell quiet.

Roxas almost skipped over to the blender and poured Xemnas a generous serving. He reminded himself to stay calm, as Xemnas didn't like the Nobodies to create "fake" emotions. It was all business to him, and emotions were considered to only be a comforting replacement to what was.

"Mmmm." Xemnas drained yet another glass. He met Roxas' eyes, who wanted to look away. "This milkshake is repulsive, but something just seems to bring me back for more. Good job, number thirteen. Roxas did smile this time, but Xemnas didn't seem to mind. He took his place once again beside Axel.

"Hah! He loves it." Roxas elbowed Axel gently in the ribs. Axel didn't respond with a smile, like he usually would. His face was blank, and he wasn't projecting emotion. He leaned against the wall.

"What's wrong?" asked Roxas, concerned.

"What did you put in that milkshake?" asked Axel, almost angrily. Roxas took a step back, hurt.

"Candy, root beer, french fries…." he counted off on his fingers. Axel grabbed Roxas' wrist painfully.

"You call those milkshake ingredients?" Axel stuck his tongue out. "I wonder…"

He poured himself a glass and took a sip. His eyes scrunched together and he spit the drink out in the sink.

"That's disgusting! Why would Xemnas want to-" he stopped. Axel's eyes lit up and he lowered his voice. "What _else_ did you put in it?"

"Umm…hold on." Roxas opened the garbage can and pulled out a container. "This," he said timidly.

Axel took the bottle from Roxas and read it quickly. His face froze.

"Axel? Are you mad at me?" he had never seen him like that before.

_Mad? _thought Axel. _I don't feel emotions, how could I be mad?_ He turned to Roxas and took a deep breath. "What makes you think that?"

"Your face…it's all red." he answered. It was true. With Axel's hair tied back, there was no hiding his face.

"Do you know what this is, Roxas?" he continued, ignoring him.

"Vanilla?"

"_Vanilla!" _

Axel paced back into the living room, leaving the others inside the kitchen. Roxas followed him.

"This isn't vanilla. It's rum. And the whole bottle has been used, by the looks of it." Axel looked Roxas directly in the eye.

"Rum?" Roxas felt uncomfortable under Axel's stare and lowered his eyes. "It would take more than _that _to get Xemnas drunk, don't you think?"

Axel continued to stare at Roxas.

"I don't think he's still drinking it, anyway." Axel's face still didn't change. He sighed through his nose. He waved Roxas into the kitchen. To Roxas' horror, Xemnas was choking down all that was in their blender, without a glass. Xigbar and Marluxia stood nearby, occasionally poking Xemnas.

"Superior?" asked Xigbar quietly. Xemnas didn't even notice they were there. Luxord was wailing on the floor, sweating heavily.

"The rum…..it's all gone!" his eyes were tightly shut.

Axel ushered Roxas back into the other room. "You see?"

Roxas shuddered at the sound of Luxord's desperate cries and Xemnas' slurping.

"Xemnas is a recovering alcoholic," he coughed. "he hasn't had a drink in years, until now."

Roxas backed away. _I've turned the Superior into a monster…and nearly killed Luxord. _He thought. _All because I used that rum._

There was a crash inside the kitchen. Xemnas had drank all of the milkshake, and became angry when he couldn't find more. The rum had put him on a rampage. Luxford was still crumpled up on the floor, howling madly. Unlike Xemnas, he didn't want to give up alcohol. Now he was forced to live without it. He fell unconscious quickly.

"AXEL! ROXAS!" Xemnas' voice thundered throughout the castle. Roxas shivered. Axel shot him a dirty look then walked into the kitchen.

"Axel…" Roxas tried to apologize.

"Haven't you messed enough up already?" Axel yelled. He kicked open the door that led to the kitchen. It shut with a slam. Roxas felt like his heart had been broken in two, if he had one. He had been told that no one in Organization XIII had a heart, but sometimes he felt that it wasn't true. Roxas had never been yelled at, and he didn't like it. It made him feel helpless and alone. He heard voices inside rise. With a deep breath, he walked inside.

"What have you done to me, eight?" Xemnas' eyes were red and puffy. "You have ruined me. Putting rum in my drink is great treachery. You know the consequences."

Axel stood with his arms crossed and glared at Roxas as he walked in. If looks could kill, then that one sure could. Axel knew the maximum punishment that would be given to him. He didn't want any of the blame to be on Roxas. He didn't know any better. It would be the end of his existence, instead.

"Superior." Roxas said.

"Roxas-" said Axel warningly. He walked over to stand by Roxas' side.

"The one who put rum in that milkshake was-"

"Me." said Axel sternly. Roxas gasped. "I put it in your drink, and Roxas was only covering for me. He doesn't deserve to be blamed for anything." His head was lowered, attempting to hide his face. He always avoided eye contact when he was lying.

"No…" whispered Roxas, looking at Axel's face. "You…"

Axel turned his head slightly and gave Roxas a sad look. "I understand what my punishment will be…my destruction. I only ask that Roxas will not be harmed." His gaze did not leave Roxas. _Remember me. _All was quiet in the kitchen. Roxas opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by the look on Axel's face. After a long moment of quiet, Roxas looked at Xemnas. He hadn't moved, or blinked for that matter.

"Axel," Roxas put his hand on his friend's back. "Look."

Axel slowly rose his face, half-expecting to see a weapon pointed at them. But instead his eyes scrunched up and went blank.

Xemnas had passed out. His eyes weren't quite closed, but he was definitely not conscious.

"That was really close for you two." Xigbar muttered. "Good thing he passed out before you admitted to spiking his drink."

"You're gonna be okay?" asked Roxas with big eyes, yanking on Axel arm like a child. He didn't say anything. Roxas looked into his eyes. They were vacant.

"As if." Xigbar snorted.

"W-what do you mean?" the strength Roxas claimed was within him died completely out. Axel remained silent.

"You got to hope that Xemnas doesn't remember getting drunk. But I think that's a pretty safe bet." he looked at the man slumped in a chair and chuckled. "What's wrong with you, kid?"

Roxas was terrified of what Xemnas could do to Axel. He tried to convince himself that Xigbar himself said that he doubted Xemnas would remember anything.

"You have a stomach ache or something?" he finished.

"No." Roxas whispered. Didn't Xigbar understand that his best friend had nearly been killed? The eye- patched man left the kitchen without another word. Roxas was alone with Axel, who still hadn't moved. He gently took him by the arm and led him into a chair. Now Roxas began to get upset.

"I'm sorry." he murmured. Eventually, Axel's eyes flickered and he blinked. He just now seemed to have come to himself.

"Don't say that. You didn't know what it was." He chuckled slightly.

Something strange had happened to Axel. He felt…different. He untied his hair, and let it fall back onto his neck. He felt less exposed that way. The two sat in silence, Axel trying to figure out what has bothering him. It reminded him of something. Was it _fear_ he had felt? And what was the other? All he knew was that it was important to protect Roxas, and then he fell into a dormant state. When he came back to himself, something was wrenching at his chest. It confused him.

"It's funny…" Roxas looked at him in confusion, something also tugging at his chest. "All this just over a milkshake. And it's changed my life." Axel wondered if Roxas shared that power to connect with hearts as Sora did. Being around Roxas had affected him, somehow.

He patted Roxas on the back. "You make me feel different when you're around." he smirked and stretched, as if what he just said wasn't of any importance. Roxas just stared at him. Axel waved his hand in front of this friend's face.

"What are you, a _zombie_?" Axel used this word so often it was almost a term of endearment. "Maybe some sea-salt ice cream can clear that up."

Roxas took a deep breath and smiled.


End file.
